Do you guys think Smith's and Jaeger gauges are too European for a traditional build? No offense to the non-American crowd intended, but they'd be installed in an American made car.
Only because you asked........they look a lot better than the ones with a fish (technically a swimming mammal) on them. Nothing looks better than actual vintage gauges though.
Jaeger tachometers were used on many American race cars since the teens, my '32 roadster came with a Jaeger clock that was installed in it in the '40s.
No pics now, just an idea and some shopping around. Vintage SW gauge prices are through the roof, as well as modern repro gauges (except some swimming mammal and Pep-Boys types), leaving Smith's and Jaegers looking like bargains.
Back in the day (mid '70's) I had a Smiths combination mechanical oil pressure/water temp gauge and a Smiths tach in one of my oval track cars. Smiths had a good name and they always looked just fine to me. I wouldn't have hesitated using them in a traditional build. Regards, Dave.
Hell if they look right and fit your wallet right why not? If a rodder in the 50's had found a set in a freshly wrecked car in a NE US wrecking yard he would probably have snagged them.
I'd use them if they fit your needs. I've thought about using them - I guess because I spent years looking at them in an Austin Healey. In fact, if you look at Healey's / MG / Triumph / Jaguar from the fifties you can find a lot of things usable in a vintage style hot rod. I have a set of Healey inside door pulls I am saving for a project. If it fits the look, I don't care if it came from a european car.
My 1930 Roadster is going to be a period perfect 1962 build and will have Smith's gauges in a Pierce Arrow dash cluster.If I was building in 1962 there would have been a wrecked 289 COBRA in a yard somewere that I could have taken the Smith's gauges from. Today I'll need $800. to buy new reproductions. Bob
Like this? Jaeger gauges latterly were badge engineered Smiths. I can't speak on reliability but mine have been working OK for the last 40 years. I have some NOS spares on the shelf still in box.
Yes Ddooce - that's the combo gauge I had. I liked it because at one quick glance you could check two vital engine conditions and flying around the oval with a bunch of other tightly packed cars there weren't too many spare seconds to take your eyes off the track ahead! Thanks! Regards, Dave.
I have one of those gauges right now. As well as the rest to make a complete set. Speedo tach and the whole works. Neat stuff. Will work on six or twelve volts as well.
Nope, I have used Smiths gauges before, they look good and they work good. That said just because I have used them doesn't mean that they are trad just that I could get them for free from a junked out old MG.
On the trad...in the '50's and '60's MG's and AH's and such that were wrecked went to the boneyards...they were not worth restoring yet, and they had nice mechanical gauges much more usable than what went into US cars of that period. Sports cars, trucks (lots of SW) and things like gasoline powered cement mixers were all good resources. If you can't afford vntage SW...who can?... anything generic with black and whit in the right places works visually.
they were good enough for Frank Kurtis, they are good enough for me. They were in more race cars in the 40's/50's than the SW stuff was. As far as vintage Jaeger stuff being more affordable? Are you guys SERIOUS?? Anyone other than me looked at the price of a good, fifties era 5" face Jaeger mechanical tach lately?? JUST TRY to find one under 4 figures. Ask me how I know...SW is the cheap stuff... When you go after the forties/fifties vintage Jaeger stuff, you are dancing with the indy car and fifties era Ferrari restorers, that's the big leagues...
Jaeger isn't really british, its swiss. There was some jaeger stuff that was built under license in England, sorta like the Mexican SW stuff... the jaeger gauges that were in Td's and Tf's were made in England, the stuff that was in Italian and german cars was swiss, or sometimes Italian made. I don't know where Kurtis was getting his, but I would guess probably Switzerland?
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